The 1950s' Souper Burger Sandwich Combines 2 Everyday Dishes

The 1950s was a creative time in the culinary world. Sure, we got long-lasting treats like candy corn and caramel apples from this decade, but we also saw the popularity of polarizing concoctions like Jell-O salad, creamed onions and peas, and salmon casserole surprise. And if you were a burger lover in the '50s, there's a chance you tried the souper mushroom burger. Yes, you heard us right — this creation was dubbed a "souper" burger for its inclusion of cream of mushroom soup, of which an entire can was mixed into and poured on top of the patties.

This specific recipe was naturally created by Campbell's, a proprietor of cream of mushroom soup. To make the meal, you'd mix a quarter of the can in with the meat, minced onion, breadcrumbs, an egg, and parsley. Then once the patties were cooked, you'd mix the rest of the can with a quarter cup of water, then pour the diluted soup on top of the burgers. If this sounds a bit off-putting, keep in mind that the topping is similar to a roux or gravy, making the dish reminiscent of a Salisbury steak. So, if you like creamy additions to your burgers, you may have enjoyed this souper edition.

With the successful launch of the souper mushroom burger, Campbell's soon introduced three other recipes: Creole burgers, onion burgers, and meatballs on buns, the latter of which was like a modern-day meatball sub. The original mushroom-infused recipe undoubtedly fell flat at a certain point between the 1950s and today. However, Campbell's has revamped it a bit into its current recipe for mushroom-smothered beef burgers. In the new version, you can swap ground beef for ground turkey, upgrade the breadcrumbs to Italian-seasoned options, and add in a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Plus, fresh mushrooms are sauteed and incorporated into the soup to make a rich mushroom gravy.

Maybe these updates are enough to entice you to try the twist on the 1950s burger — but if not, there's a popular alternative: a mushroom Swiss burger. Sliced shrooms, Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, garlic, and pepper come together to create a tasty mushroom topping that doesn't smother the beef patty and melted Swiss cheese. You can even throw some diced, caramelized onions in the mix for more savory goodness. The burger will give you similar experience to the 1950s sandwich, but in a much lighter and (dare we say) more flavorful way.